Prairie Bluff XI
North Ridge Loop



   
 
May 1, 2020
 
Solo scramble.
 
Long gone are the days when I need any excuse to explore any part of Prairie Bluff. You would have to go completely out of your way to find a dull route up this humble but magnificent peak.
 
The sole purpose of this “late in the day” trip was to check out the colourful rock I had seen two weeks earlier on the ridge west of the “other ridge”. The rock of the east side of this new ridge had blown me away already and I suspected that the west-side rock would be of equal beauty. Since the Sun would only be reaching that rock in the evening, this was a great choice for an after work ascent.   
 
I knew this trip would be fantastically scenic (simply because of my obsessive love for colourful rock), but was curious to see if the rock on this ridge would measure up to that on the “other ridge”. In short, it did, and in spades! The red argillite rock band near the top (a sister to the one on the other ridge) was spectacular and kept be busy exploring for a good 30 minutes.  
 
Atop of the amazing band I was able to follow my old snowshoe tracks across the ridge and on towards the summit. Although only a 30-minute diversion to visit the summit and back, I was more interested in reliving the fantastic experience I had in 2017, descending the other ridge. On that day I had not made it down to the yellow lichen covered lower rock band before the Sun had set. As such, there would be no summit today and I started down the familiar route.
 
Not surprisingly, the breath-taking scenery had me running all over to place trying to see every splash of yellow and orange lichen on every shade of red, and gray rock. A waxing gibbous moon added further to the spectacle.  
 
Nothing to see here – just another awe-inspiring day in the Castle!  


The two ridges from near the parking area. I went up the right one and down the left one.



The left ridge is amazing on a clear day, when the Sun is shining on it



Approaching the right ridge



Gaining elevation on the right while looking longingly over to the left



The colourful rock on the east side of the ridge is not as impressive late in the day when the Sun doesn't reach the rock



Obligatory dead tree photo



Another colourful rock



Here's how the same rock looked early in the day, on my trip two weeks earlier



On the ridge



The first sign that things are about to get crazy!



Another sign



The moon was small and faint, but still a cool feature of the trip, especially on descent



Nice, but not so colourful rock



Still obsessing over the "other ridge"



The splashes of yellow lichens are one of the best features of this route



Fun, scrambly terrain



Fun, not-so-scrambly dead trees



Both!

Here comes the good stuff.....












I tried this ascent route two weeks earlier, but it was choked with snow and I backed down



Without the snow the route was easy and super interesting



At the top of the rock band looking down
 


The upper section has many layers of colourful rock



First view of Victoria Peak, Windsor Mountain, and Castle Peak















Going the wrong way. Of course I had to descend this side of the ridge to see everything.












End of first amazing rock section


Back at the top of the rock band



The route ahead. The other ridge is at the left.



Thankfully, much of the snow had melted since my last visit, making the traverse the ridge considerably easier






As always, I'll miss the cornice scenery for the next 7-8 months






Victoria Peak again. The fact that I've only visited it's awesome summit twice is a shortcoming that needs to be remedied.



Summit of Prairie Bluff appears



The eastern front of The Castle. So many fantastic peaks and outliers to ascend.



Approaching the other ridge






View from my highpoint of the day



The summit is so close but the other ridge is calling



From the top of the red argillite band that WOWED me last night



Here's why









Already amazing, the moon adds its magic














Leaving the rock band. From below it looks remarkably similar to the adjacent rock band on the ascent ridge.



Looking back up to the summit



The top of the next rock band is likewise adorned with orange and yellow lichen on red argilitte









Below is the band of gray rock



Racing the Sun



Much terrain to explore on the west side of the band, but that will have to wait for another trip










Lots of yellow lichen on the east side


















Regrettably leaving






The Sun dips behind a cloud


....but makes a final appearance before finishing the descent

The End

LOG